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Sunday, June 4, 2017

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Bill of Rights

Amendment 1

Prohibits Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

Obliterated in the modern context in any small sense of the original statement.

Amendment 2

Protects the right to keep and bear arms.

Obliterated in the modern context when it justifies buying tanks and machine guns.

Amendment 3

Places restrictions on the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent, prohibiting it during peacetime.

No comment

Amendment 4

Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause as determined by a neutral judge or magistrate.

Blasted into atoms in the modern context but it was never repealed

Amendment 5

Sets out rules for indictment by grand jury and eminent domain, protects the right to due process, and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

When eminent domain takes sacred land from Indians and from Americans in the Southeast for the Wall, this one has become an abomination.

Amendment 6

Protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury, including the rights to be notified of the accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel.

A death penalty trial may well go for twenty years or more so this one is gone.

Amendment 7

Provides for the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases, according to common law.

Nothing to add

Amendment 8

Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment.

When prosecution can result in confiscation of all property, this one has disappeared in the modern context.

Amendment 9

Protects rights not enumerated in the Constitution.

There are all kinds of Supreme Court joys which came from this one, most of which an ongoing minority hates (e.g. Roe v Wade)

Amendment 10

Reinforces the principle of federalism by stating that the federal government possesses only those powers delegated to it by the states or the people through the Constitution.

While liberal principles may seem to defy this, our belief is the states took too much power and become kingships on their own.

Amendment 11

Makes states immune from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders; lays the foundation for sovereign immunity.

America can do no wrong and you sure saw the success of that.

Amendment 12

Revises presidential election procedures.

Procedural and not much interest

Post Bill of Rights Amendments

Amendment 13

Abolishes slavery, and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Amendment 14

Defines citizenship, contains the Privileges or Immunities Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and deals with post–Civil War issues.

Amendment 15

Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Amendment 16

Permits Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on the United States Census.

Amendment 17

Establishes the direct election of United States Senators by popular vote.

Amendment 18

Prohibited the manufacturing or sale of alcohol within the United States.(Repealed December 5, 1933)

Amendment 19

Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on sex.

The only statement anywhere which confers any rights on women

Amendment 20

Changes the date on which the terms of the President and Vice President (January 20) and Senators and Representatives (January 3) end and begin.

Procedural and not much interest

Amendment 21

Repeals the 18th Amendment and makes it a federal offense to transport or import intoxicating liquors into US states and territories where such transport or importation is prohibited by the laws of those states and territories.

Amendment 22

Limits the number of times that a person can be elected president: a person cannot be elected president more than twice, and a person who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected cannot be elected more than once.
While it was not the Will of the Forefathers, the Rockhouse submits the dangers of career politicians in Congress seem self-evident.

Amendment 23

Grants the District of Columbia electors (the number of electors being equal to the least populous state) in the Electoral College.

Amendment 24

Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to the non-payment of a poll tax or any other tax.

Amendment 25

Addresses succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, as well as responding to Presidential disabilities.

Amendment 26

Prohibits the denial of the right of US citizens, eighteen years of age or older, to vote on account of age.

Amendment 27

Delays laws affecting Congressional salary from taking effect until after the next election of representatives.